


you make me happy (when skies are gray)

by HestiaForever



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Bad Bob is a good dad, Bitty is talented and Jack has a competence kink, Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff, Introspection, M/M, Montreal, Post-Canon, Post-Sticks and Scones, figure skater, just a lil bit, who really wants to plan a wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:29:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HestiaForever/pseuds/HestiaForever
Summary: Jack and Bitty spend the first couple weeks after Bitty’s graduation in Montreal with Jack’s parents. Bitty spends a lot of time working on his vlog and his cookbook proposal and his French, trying to adjust to life after graduation. Jack spends it training, bulking up for the upcoming season. And they spend a lot of it together-- Jack shows Bitty spots around town that he remembers from his childhood, restaurants and parks and rinks, places that are almost all tinged with a bit of murky anxiety.But Jack doesn’t mind, because they’re making new, happier memories. Asfiancés. The word still seems foreign. Sometimes, Bitty and Jack’s everyday routine in Montreal feels domestic and ordinary. His new normal. Other times, Jack still can’t quite believe that he’s here, with his NCAA Championship winning fiancé and a Stanley Cup of his own, content and in love.Or: Jack and Bitty spend their first few weeks after graduation in Montreal, and Jack and Bob have a much needed conversation.
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 14
Kudos: 295





	you make me happy (when skies are gray)

**Author's Note:**

> So. Check Please is over.
> 
> I'm still shook, y'all. I've only been following Check Please for about a year, but DAMN if Ngozi didn't fully suck me into her world over the course of this year, and I'm not ready to leave it yet!
> 
> So with that said: I headcanon that Jack and Bitty visit the Zimmermans in Montreal before they go south to Madison for the events of 4.26, so this happens before the last comic and before Bitty gets the news about the (spoiler!) book deal.

Jack and Bitty spend the first couple weeks after Bitty’s graduation in Montreal with Jack’s parents. Bitty spends a lot of time working on his vlog and his cookbook proposal and his French, trying to adjust to life after graduation. Jack spends it training, bulking up for the upcoming season. And they spend a lot of it together-- Jack shows Bitty spots around town that he remembers from his childhood, restaurants and parks and rinks, places that are almost all tinged with a bit of murky anxiety. 

But Jack doesn’t mind, because they’re making new, happier memories. As fiancés. _Fiancés._ The word still seems foreign. Sometimes, Bitty and Jack’s everyday routine in Montreal feels domestic and ordinary. His new normal. Other times, Jack still can’t quite believe that he’s here, with his NCAA Championship winning fiance and a Stanley Cup of his own, content and in love.

Obviously, because it’s Montreal, Jack gets recognized quite a bit more than he does in Providence, with its fledgling-but-slowly-growing hockey fan population. Hockey is a religion in Montreal. Surprisingly, however, Jack finds that he isn’t as wary about being recognized and approached by fans than he was in the past. The constant roar of anxiety-- _what if he comes off as curt and someone posts on the internet that Jack Zimmermann is rude to fans, what if they think Jack is failing Bob’s legacy, what if they take issue with him and Bittle--_ is more muted than it used to be. There’s still a flare of wariness whenever he can tell someone in the street or a couple tables over in a restaurant is about to approach, but nearly everyone is overwhelmingly supportive. Jack loses count of how many people commend his bravery for coming out, tell him that he and Bitty are cute together. There's even a couple of young teenagers who tell Jack and Bitty that they inspired them to keep playing sports, to keep fighting for a place in this world just the way they are, and that-- well. Jack didn't come out because he wanted to be a role model, but he's glad that his and Bittle's story was able to help _someone._

There’s some joking comments from Habs fans about their disappointment when Jack chose not to sign with his dad’s original team, sure, but Jack no longer takes them to heart the way he knows he would have a couple years ago. He’s content with his place with the Falconers, he’s content with his relationship with Bitty, he’s content with his relationship with his parents. He’s really, genuinely happy. 

It’s a feeling that’s taken him years and years to reach, but with Bittle at his side, Jack has a feeling that it’s not going to go away any time soon.

They spend a lot of their two weeks in Montreal skating, mostly on Bob’s rink in the backyard. They go to public rinks a couple of times, but on those days, they spend more time talking to fans and signing merch than actually skating. He doesn’t mind too much, though, because it’s obvious Bitty enjoys getting to show off-- Bitty always brings his figure skates, and as soon as they arrive, he’s off, launching into fancy footwork patterns and spins and jumps with a dizzying number of rotations. And even though Jack chirps him for showing off, he’s privately impressed. He knew Bitty was a figure skater before switching to hockey, obviously, but he didn’t realize just how good he was. His jumps by request of the Samwell hockey team were always in hockey skates-- nothing compared to what he can do in figure skates. In figure skates, Bitty is all clean edges, tightly controlled spins, and even more breathtaking speed, and Jack can’t stop watching him. 

Jack (and the rest of the rink) is watching Bitty launch into a fancy jump combination when his dad skates up beside him. “Being a little obvious there with the heart eyes, eh?”

Jack feels his face flush. “Well. Uh.”

Bob nudges Jack with his shoulder, gesturing at where Bitty has come to a stop at the boards to grab his water bottle, and is being approached by a tall blond man, probably college-age. “Wanna interrupt that? Pretty sure that kid’s going over to ask him out-- aaand he just noticed the ring. Ha!” 

Jack just shakes his head. He’s pretty sure Bob is more smug about Blond Kid’s hasty retreat than Jack is. “Bittle can take care of himself, Papa.”

“You’re engaged and he’s still Bittle?” Bob chuckles. 

Jack ducks his head. “Euh. Habit, I guess.”

Across the rink, Bitty is taking off again, this time into a complex step sequence that ends in a dizzying camel spin. Bob whistles, impressed. “Damn. Guess that’s where he gets the speed from. And the spin-o-ramas.” 

“Yeah, Bi-- Eric’s pretty amazing,” Jack says, smiling. (Sue him, he doesn’t feel like getting chirped to death by his own father. Bitty’s first name feels kind of foreign in his mouth, but in a good way. Like _fiancé._ Or husband.) 

He’s expecting another chirp, but when Jack looks over at his dad, Bob has a soft smile on his face. “It’s good to see you so happy, Jack. I don’t think I realized just how much your maman and I worried about you these last couple of years until we didn’t have to anymore,” Bob says. “When you started talking about Eric more your senior year-- it was like a switch flipped. You talked more, you smiled more. He’s good for you.”

Jack feels a small flare of embarrassment, but in a good way, not in the way he would have a couple years ago if Bob had admitted to worrying about him. “Yeah. I guess he is.”

“So. Have you made any wedding plans?” After Suzanne, Bob’s definitely the most excited about planning their wedding. He’d gotten a Pinterest account on their second day in Montreal so he could follow Suzanne’s “wedding ideas” board.

“Heh. Not yet. We were sort of planning on a long engagement. Trying to plan it for this summer would be a bit rushed, and we don’t want to get married mid-season, so. We talked about it, and we agreed it’s probably best to plan for some time next year. Bitty’s parents had a long engagement, so.”

Bob sighs exaggeratedly and pats his phone in his pocket. “Guess I’ll have to hit pause on this list of potential venues, then. Shame. Suzanne and I had some good ones.”

Jack shakes his head in disbelief, laughing. “Papa!”

“Sure I can’t convince you to get married this summer?”

“I think you’re more excited about this than I am,” Jack says, side-eyeing Bob.

His dad just shrugs innocently. “What can I say, I’m an old man now. I need some excitement in my life.”

Jack snorts. “Mhm. Well, Bitty’s still sending his cookbook proposal to publishers, so. He’ll probably be pretty busy with that for a while.”

“A cookbook, eh? Good for him. Is that what all the baking has been for?” 

Jack grins. His parents’ kitchen has been pretty constantly covered with a huge variety of pies. “Well, that’s also just Bitty being Bitty, but yeah. He hasn’t told many people. I think because he doesn’t think that any publishers are going to pick it up any time soon, but he’s underestimating himself. He’s pretty much done deciding on the sample recipes and writing the proposal, actually.” Jack laughs. “It took him months of procrastinating to write his thesis, but that written proposal took days.”

Before Bob can say anything, Bitty is skating back to them, his abrupt stop showering Jack and Bob’s skates in ice. His cheeks are red from the biting wind as he skates, his eyes bright with exhilaration, and suddenly, Jack really wants to kiss him. If they weren’t in public right now, with Jack’s dad standing right beside him-- well. Jack can’t be held responsible for what he does when Bitty’s bitten-red lips and cheeks just look so--

“Now, Jack, I know I didn’t hear y’all talking about me,” Bitty says, hand on his hip.

Jack snaps guiltily back into reality, but Bitty is smiling. “Definitely not.”

Bitty’s eyebrows raise. “Hm.”

Jack can’t help but grin. “I was just saying how you’re going to be a published author.”

“Oh, hush,” Bitty says. “I haven’t even gotten a deal yet. But actually, I was just thinking-- all I need before I start submitting the proposal to publishers is the photos for my sample recipes, so. Ever thought about food photography?” 

Jack raises his eyebrows. “I’d love to, but are you sure you don’t want a professional? Geese to baked goods is kind of a leap. The photos might be terrible.”

Bitty scoffs. “As if. Besides, it’ll be a great marketing ploy. We can get the actual bakers and the hockey fans.”

Jack grins. “Well, if you say so.”

“I do.”

And those words, coming out of Bitty’s mouth-- well, the novelty of their engagement hasn’t worn off yet. Suddenly, Jack wonders if it would be so bad if they just eloped. This long engagement thing doesn’t seem like such a good idea after all.

Jack’s dad clears his throat, and Jack realizes that they’ve been standing there, smiling at each other like fools, for an awkward length of time. “Well, I hope you know Alicia and I will be the first ones in line when it comes out. I don’t know how we’re going to survive without a constant stream of pie after you leave.”

Bitty blushes. “Thanks, Mr. Zimmermann.”

Bob chuckles. “Well, I was going to tell you for the millionth time to call me Bob, but I guess I should be telling you to call me dad.”

Bitty somehow flushes even pinker. “Uh, well, that’s awful kind of you, sir.” Jack barely holds back a chirp-- the embarrassment seems to have reverted Bitty into full Sunday-church-polite Southerner mode. 

Jack decides to take pity on Bittle and extends a hand. “Hey, there’s an empty patch of ice over there. Wanna try that other lift you were talking about?”

Bob looks absolutely delighted; meanwhile, Bitty is looking at Jack with narrowed eyes. “Honey, you know that’s gonna end up on Twitter or Instagram in seconds. Or Tumblr, god forbid.”

Which, sure, Jack knows that. He’s pretty sure there are a couple fans looking at them from the boards right now, deciding whether or not to approach, but hey. Why not? He’s feeling a bit impulsive. And everyone knows already. What’s the worst that could happen? 

When he says as much, Bitty snorts. “God, can you imagine the headline? Jack Zimmermann quits hockey for ice dance, question mark?”

“Well, I guess Virtue and Moir better keep an eye out.”

“ _Jack Laurent Zimmermann_ \-- was that a joke I just heard? About _figure skating_? Now that’s a headline.” Bitty waves his hands as if to delineate the borders of an imaginary news article. “Zimmermann broadens his range of jokes from one ice sport to two.”

“Chirp chirp, Bits.”

When Bitty finally gives in and starts skating away, Jack catches his father’s eye. Bob’s grinning, and Jack's expecting a chirp, but all Bob says is, “It’s good to see you so happy. You deserve it, oui?”

A couple years ago, Jack wouldn't have believed it. Now, Jack smiles. “Yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, drop me a kudos!


End file.
